So it's still not warm enough where both of you are at to consider much of anything yet? I did buy the bedding annuals today & a hanging mixed annuals pot. I also bought the standing mixed annuals pot but it looks so small next to the front door (10" pot in a 24" wide space) that it may have to go back for a bigger one or I may have to make my own. I don't know what size pot to look for either way though & posted about this dilemma on the "Container Gardening" forum. I didn't buy a windowsill box because I have to figure out if the 5" deep ledge will support one, & because there's a doorbell 10" above the ledge 8" from the edge that I have to take into consideration. This was also questioned on that same forum. I'll wait until the front bricked-in bench/garden area is finished to see what perennials are needed there. And if none are needed & any are left over I'll try to incorporate something from there into the back garden where two medium-height are needed. I love this time of year, yet I hate it. Or maybe I just dislike the prep & purchase. *sigh*

Hi Jeff, Your photos are lovely, lovely. We do have some pink pearl azaleas here too. If you look at the deepest portion of your shot of the whole plant, that is roughly the color I remember for our blooms, but perhaps they do fade a bit as they age. One of what was labeled as a 'Pink Pearl' definitely isn't that, though I've not taken the time to try to identify what it might be. (One of the great problems in buying plants at a place like Lowe's; I wish we'd never done that--though the 'not Pink Pearl' azalea looks terrific too.) Thanks very much for the Dodd information. They look like people after my own heart; what a wonderful business they are in. I'll contact them if I do wind up with any Mother of Pearl plants that rooted. (I've heard nothing back on that yet and don't expect to hear anything positive, if it's going to be positive, until later.) Thanks for posting, Jeff! Best wishes, Mary

Linda Rowe from "Bloomin' Jungle" got the Belisle stock. She sells on ebay. Try to contact her. I.

The U shaped bamboo trellises are much more useful. When the plant gets too tall you just loop it down and then position the growing tip facing up and let it continue to grow. If you cut your plant back, soon you will have multiple growth reaching for the ceiling and it will be more difficult to deal with than it is now. This is one Hoya that needs a sturdy pot and trellis because it will become quite heavy as it grows larger. Mike